How To Move Somewhere New Without Any Connections — By 8 Women Who Did It

Moving anywhere is intimidating. Taking stock of everything you've accumulated, packing it all up, lugging it to your new place, changing your address, working out where the nearest supermarket is... The list gets all the more intimidating when that move is to a new town or city (or country!) where you have no connections. What is the healthcare like there? Can I transport all my belongings? If not, where does that stuff go? And the biggest question: How do I even begin to build a new support network?

People move somewhere completely new for a wealth of reasons — work, love, studying, a love of the place, a need for a fresh start. Since the past few years have shaken up the ways we work and live, it's no wonder that more people than ever are considering making that leap. A September survey from SpareRoom found that almost three quarters of London renters are either actively looking (46%) to move to a new area or are considering it (26%), due to the cost of living crisis. And one in 14 of those renters are considering packing in the UK life entirely.

But what can you actually expect from that experience? We heard from eight women who moved somewhere new without a support network about the highs and lows of it all. If you're itching to make a move in the future, let this be your guidance for what it could be like.